Combined folding bed and dressing-case



' (No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 1. J. FLORY. I COMBINED FOLDING BED AND DRESSING CASE. No.504,778. Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. FLORY. COMBINED FOLDING BED AND DRESSING CASE. 778Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

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JOHN FLORY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN,

COMBINED FOLDING BED AND DRESSING-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,778, datedSeptember 12, 1893.

Application filedMarch 23, 1893.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN FLORY, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Grand Rapids, Kent county, State of Michigamhave inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Folding Bed andDressing-Oase; and my preferred manner of carrying out the invention isset forth in the .following full, clear, and exact description,terminating with a claim particularly specifying the novelty.

This invention relates to beds, and more especially to that classthereof known as folding-bedsteads; and the object of the same is toproduce a piece of bedroom furniture combinin g a folding bed with achiffonier, bureau, dressing ease, writing desk, or the like.

To this end the invention consists in the construction herein after morefully described whereby the detailed mechanisms of the two members ofthis combined piece of furniture co-operate with each other to the bestadvantage to enable them to be readily separated when desired, as wellas to cause them when assembled to produce a whole of economicalconstruct-ion, easy operation, and occupying the least possible space.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a general perspective view ofthis combined bed and chiffonier or the like, in position for use. Fig.2 is a central vertical section with the members assembled. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the bed-casing and bed with the end of the casingremoved, showing the bed in dotted lines as partly turned down and infull lines as completely turned down and latched. Fig. 4c is a bottomplan view of the dressing case. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the devicewith the dressing case moved slightly away from its closed position, andillustrating more particularly the details of the present invention.

In the said drawings the letter C designates the casing for the bed B,and T is a trough projecting forwardly from the bottom of said casing.

D is the dressing case as a whole which in the present instance containsa writing desk IV together with other drawers, cupboards, and similarreceptacles. I may here state that the receptacles which the dressingcase D contains form no essential part of the pres- Serial No. 467,367.(No model.)

ent invention, except that it is the general object sought that thisdressing case, chiffonier,bureau,or whatever piece of furniture it is,shall take the place of one or more other and usually independent piecesof furniture employed in the bedroom. In the present case I have shownthe dressing easel) as containing near its base at one side threedrawers 1 and at the other side a small cupboard 2 above which is asingle drawer 3. In the upper part at the left is a swinging door orpanel carrying a mirrors and adapted to close a cupboard containingseveral shelves 5; while at the right is a writing desk composed of ahinged leaf 6 adapted to close a small cupboard containing pigeon-holes7, andabove this writing desk may be other small drawers 8. At the topof the writing desk is a shelf 9 as for books, (tel, and in rear of thisshelf may be a looking-glass 10.

The casing O for the bed is an upright framework with top and bottom,sides and back, as such casings are usually constructed;

and extending forward from the bottom of this casing is a trough Tcomposed of a bottom 11, raised back 12, raised front 13, and raisedleft end lei-the trough having no right end but the bottom 11 at thispoint being pro vided with a notch 15 as shown. The bottom of the casingand of the trough are provided with casters whereby the whole issupported from the floor so that it may be moved about the room asdesired.

Depending from the bottom of the dressing case along its front edge is amolding 20 which completely conceals the raised front 13 of the troughand the casters beneath said trough; and slightly in rear of saidmolding 20 is a guide-strip t which depends from the dressing case andis spaced from the molding a sufficient distance to permit the upperedge of the raised front 13 to slide between said guidestrip andmolding.

On the bottom of the dressing case at the left end is a bracket orcasting 16 supporting a pair of small rollers 17 properly spaced and ofsuitable size to travel within the trough and closely fit between theback 12 thereof and the guide strip 25; while at the right end of thebottom of the dressing case is another bracket or casting 18 providedwith a large single roller 19 of suitable size to travel on the floorand to move into the notch as the dressing case is shoved to the left.The small rollers 17 at this time move in the trough T, and all therollers are completely hidden from View by the depending molding 20 atthe front of the base of the dressing case, which molding is continuedaround the right end thereof as at 20 and covers the large roller.

The top 21 of the casing is provided near its front edge with atransverse groove 22, and at the upper edge of the back ofthe case D isan L-shaped strip 23 whose depending lip travels in said groove so as toprevent the upper end of the case from falling to the front. From theleft end of said top rises a strip of molding 22L extending across theend of the groove 22 and thus affording a stop against which the leftend of the L-shaped strip 23 will strike when the members are housed;and thus preventing the case D from being moved too far to the left andacross the right end of the top is another strip of molding 25stoppingin rear of the groove 22 so as not toimpede the movement of the L,shaped strip. The ends of said L-shaped strip 23 are provided with smallpieces of molding 26 26 shapedso as to register with the moldings 2iand..25 when the members are housed that is to say, the piece 26 coversonly a portion of the left end of the L-shaped strip, while the piece26' covers the entire right end of thisstrip-as best seen in Fig. 5.

27 is apin projecting to the rear from a point near the left end of theL-shaped strip 23, and so located that it will strike against the innerface of the right strip 25 on the easing O when the case D has beenmoved to the right sufficiently to permit; the bed to be lowered. Atthis time the bottom molding 20 on thecase has not uncovered the frontside 13 of the trough and is therefore not out of engagement therewith,and the small rollers also still rest in the bottom of the trough. If itis desired to entirely remove the case from the casing, the former canbe lifted slightly so that the pin 27 will pass over the right moldingstrip 25, after which the entire case can be removed by rolling it onthe rollers to a remote point if desired. To reconnect the parts, thisoperation is reversed, and it will thus be obvious that it is onlynecessary to raise the left side of the case D a trifle in order toconnect it with or disconnect it from the casing.

The bed Bis composed of the usual side bar 30 connected by transverseslats 31 and a footboard 32, while a narrow board 33 connects the upperor head ends of the side bars, and the headboard 34: is hinged as at 35to the upper edge of this narrow board. Said headboard moves between theends of the easingand slides against its back, and angleirons 37 aresecured to the rear face of the headboard and loosely engage thevertical edges of a large opening which is made in the back of thecasing.

On the rear face of the headboard is asuitable weight 38 for partiallyor fully counterbalancing the weight of the bed and bed clothing.

At the lower edge of the footboard 32 and just inside the same ismounted a cross bar 39 having pins in its ends which engage eyes ll inthe inner faces of the side bars, and depending from the ends of thecross bar 39 are legs 42 whose bodies are adapted to pass inside saidside bars when the bed is raised and whose tips at this time rest innotches 43 in the lower face of the foot slat 3lthe object being thatthe entire cross bar,its pivots, and its legs shall stand flush with thelower edges of the side bars of the bed and with the front edges of theends of the casing when the bed is housed. A suitable catch it maybearranged in the lower edge of the footboa-rd and adapted to engage akeeper-4:5 in the front edge of the topof the casing-although this catchand keeper are not always necessary.

The hangings or pivots for the bed within the casing are constructed asfollows and are in duplicate at the opposite sides of the bed: is acasting secured inside the end of the casing near the floor and 51 is alink or strap pivoted at its lower end to said casting, rising andbending slightly forward therefrom, and pivoted to a plate or casting52secured to the outer face of the side bar of the bed near the headthereof. 53 is a block secured inside the end of the casing and havingan inclined rear face 54 forming a stop to prevent the link 51 frommoving too far to the front. 56 is a catch which I may employ at agroove or hole in the side bar of the bed to a point usually in front ofthe casting 52 where it is provided with a handle 59 by means of whichthe bolt can be retracted to disengage the tip from the keeper. When,however, this catch is an ordinary bolt or one which is notspring-pressed, it will be obvious that the chain or rod maybe omittedand the handle will project from the bolt of the catch itself. In thiscase the operator will grasp suchhandle and move it in the properdirection tc-shoot or retract the bolt.

As above'constructed, the parts are assembledand my device is asfollows: The dressing case and its drawers, cupboards, and writing deskcan obviously be used in the ordinary manner at any time. When it isdesired to use the bed the dressing case is shoved to the right. (Insome cases it may be thought advisable to provide a catch 60 suitablylocated as at one end of the case and engag ing the casing, whosefunction is obviously to prevent such sliding except when desired, atwhich time the catch is thrown out of engagement with its keeper.)During such move in the ordinary manner.

ment of the case to the right the large roller travels on the floor outof the notch, and the smaller rollers travel along the trough from theleft end thereof to a point at the right end where they pass astride thenotch; and the depending lip of the L-shaped strip 23 moves in thegroove 22 until the pin 37 strikes the right molding 25. At this timethe case has uncovered the front of the casing so that the bed can belowered by drawing its footboard forward, and if the catch i4: is usedit is obviously disengaged from its keeper before lowering the bed. Asthe bed is lowered the pivots at the upper ends of the links 51 arefirst drawn to the front while the entire bed swings around the lowerpivots and as soon as said links strike the stops their forward motionscease and the bed then swings around the pivots 52; the lower edges ofthe side bars of the bed striking the upper edge of the rear side 12 ofthe trough just as the links strike the stops, and rising out of contacttherewith as soon as the bed begins to swing around the pivots 52.Meanwhile the headboard at is being raised and its angleirons are causedto slide up the edges of the opening in the back of the casing; theweight 38 obviously counterbalancing the weight of the bed and bedclothing, and the legs 42 standing always in a vertical position untiltheir lower ends strike the floor when the bed is horizontal. At thismoment the catch or catches 56 at the head of the side bars of the bedautomatically engage their keepers, and the bed is prevented fromclosing undesirably. The pillows are then taken from one of the drawersin the case and the bed is used In the morning the user rises from hisbed and finds the dressing case near at hand. The pillows are replacedin their drawer or other storage receptacle, the catch or catches 56 aredisengaged from their keepers by drawing on the handles 59, and the bedis housed by simply raising its foot until it passes into the casing 45and the catch 44 engages its keeper. At this time the legs 42 will havefallen until their tips rest in the notches 43 and the entire front faceof the casing, bed, and legs will stand in a single plane so that thedressing case can be again moved to the left until the whole presentsthe appearance of but a single piece of furniture and the catch 60, ifit is used, will hold the parts in this position. The matter ofmaterials, proportions, ornamentation, and other details must be left tothe judgment of the manufacturer except in so far as hereinafterclaimed, and I do not therefore wish to limit myself to the constructionof parts as considerable change may be made therein without departingfrom the principle of my invention.

What is claimed as new is-= The combination with a folding-bed-casinghaving a groove along its top, and a trough projecting forward from thebottom of the.

casing, said trough being open at its right end and there having a notchin its bottom; of a dressing case or the like having a strip of L-shapedcross section whose depending lip travels normally in said groove, adepending molding at the front edge of said case standing just forwardof the raised front of said trough, 2. depending guide-strip on saidcase standing just in rear of said raised front, and three rollerscarried by the lower end of said case, the two smaller of which travelwithin the trough in rear of said guide-strip while thelarger onetravels on the floor and enters said notch when the parts are housed, asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto subscribed my signature on this the18th day of March, A. D. 1893.

JOHN FLORY. Witnesses:

EVAN. B. RAVENOROFT, CHARLES SNYDER.

